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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27646945">The Bird Job</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deprough/pseuds/deprough'>deprough</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian's Jobs [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, Strangers to Family, after ep 4 it's my own canon, canon compliant through ep4, cool star wars animals</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:40:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27646945</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deprough/pseuds/deprough</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With Parjii safely in training, Mando returns to his old habits of hunting for work. This time, the job is for the birds.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) &amp; Original Character(s), Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV)/Din Djarin, Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian's Jobs [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588885</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy New Mandalorian Episode Friday! Enjoy a post. </p><p>tw: mentions of Omera (I know that some people really dig Din/Omera, so just a heads up about that), lots of birds, bad dreams</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>This planet felt enough like Sorgan that Mando couldn’t quite stop expecting to see Cara walk in the door of the small cantina. Udhun wasn’t covered in quiet forests; craggy mountains with vast plains of green-blue grass made up this world. Regardless of climate differences, the cantina held the same type of people: hard working people-of-the-land, people laying low for various reasons, and the merchants and tradespeople who made their money off supplying essentials to the first two groups. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room itself was almost a twin for Sorgan’s bar, with dark corners where people drank and conducted business together. The major differences were the feathers of all sizes; locals wore them in layers for clothing, they filled the cushions on the chair, and long feathers in blues and greens were used as decor touches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reminder of Sorgon brought Omera to the forefront, and he was gratified to find that the pain of leaving had eased. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It was proof that no one’s absence hurt forever</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he told himself, prepared to say it until he believed it. He didn’t compare the differences between her and Parjii; they were two different people who offered two different things. Both things violated his Creed, and so weren’t his to have.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shaking off personal musings, he took another assessing glance around the room. This city had quickly produced one job, a quick hunt for a bail-jumper concluded in an hour, and he’d love to get in one more. He had the feeling it wouldn’t provide another, though. Too small, too quiet; this place was far away from bounty hunters and criminal organizations. It was the kind of place where bounties hid, not where you got hired to find them. P</span>
  <em>
    <span>erhaps I should take the Crest to the other hemisphere; the fuel cost would be lower than leaving atmo completely, and--</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything else for ya, love?” the waitress asked as she stopped at their table and picked up The Kid’s empty bowl. “Does your little one have room for more?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” Mando said, putting aside thoughts of business for a moment. “I’m not sure where he’s putting it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Children have hollow legs,” the woman laughed, resting the tray on the top of her baby belly as she waited. “Whadda say, Little Green, want another one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Kid reached for her tray with grabby hands and the waitress chuckled again. “I think that’s a yes,” Mando said, pulling out two more </span>
  <em>
    <span>wupiupi </span>
  </em>
  <span>for the broth. The Hutt-minted coins gleamed in the dim light of the bar as the waitress put it on her tray.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll bring you another bowl, unless you’ve changed your mind?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, thank you,” Mando said, ignoring the good smells hanging in the air. Once she’d gone, he glanced down at the child and said, “This is commentary on my cooking, isn’t it?” The little one didn’t respond, but since he’d started to fight Mando about eating ration bars, Mando guessed he was enjoying the home cooked meals. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the women set another bowl down in front of the kid, Mando caught her attention. “Hey, I’m still looking for work. You know of any around here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you mean ranchin’, do you, sir?” she asked with a sly smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like birds that much,” he told her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t like ornathins, you probably shouldn’t come to Udhun in the first place,” the waitress advised, still grinning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Kid’s enraptured, though,” Mando admitted. The first time they’d seen one of the massive herds of the three-meter birds that were the primary life form on this planet, The Kid had stared without blinking. They were worth a long look, with the massive birds feathered in greens and blues that matched the planet’s tall grasses. The male birds, larger and with a crest of feathers running from the top of their heads to hang off their tails, had been particularly eye-catching as they had strutted past.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His first thought had been, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Parjii would have found them beautiful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He managed to dismiss that thought and focus on the child’s wonder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, the Baron’s always looking for herders. None of the workers stay long due to the birds kickin’ them,” the waitress finished. “You could check for other types of employment at the Baron’s house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Big one in the middle?” Mando guessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, that’s the Lodge,” she said, grimacing. “Gambling and pleasure hall. The Baron thought he might convince the herders to not move on if they could have a bit ‘o fun in their offtimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did it work?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On some,” she replied. “The ones that stay generally find a wife. Most just drift on to another camp on the planet, though most of them leave more money with us because of the Lodge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So they still work as herders, just in another spot?” Mando asked, trying to understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep. To hear them talk, some herds are just nicer to work for.” She shrugged. “Anyway, if you want to talk to the Baron, he lives off the main square. Look for the house with the line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only one building had a line; a big house made of gray clay bricks that he wouldn’t have pegged as a noble’s residence. The line led to a window on the side of the house, where each person -- mostly human men -- stopped long enough to get a handful of credits before moving on. Mando walked past it to the front door and knocked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A young, moderately attractive woman in a uniform answered the door, her eyes passing over Mando and the baby in one sweep. “Good afternoon. May I help you?” she asked with cool politeness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been told I can ask for work here,” Mando said. “Does the Baron have any bounties he needs collected?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Udhun is a place of peace.” The servant bestowed a beatific smile on him, designed to convey her happiness with this planet. Mando didn’t buy it; he’d just spent hours hunting through this city, looking for his bounty. That’d been a personal one, not official, but Udhun wasn’t a utopia. With a labor force composed of men always on the move, the planet couldn’t have been that peaceful. “We have very few crimes, and they are minor when it happens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, that’s a no?” Mando prompted for a clear answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid we have nothing for you, bounty hunter,” the woman said, still smiling. “Good day.” She shut the door firmly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back at the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Crest</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Mando debated leaving tonight but there was no rush. It’d been a long day and the clouds overhead were heavy and dark, so instead of taking off immediately, he took The Kid out to the five-meter tall pens. The smell coming off the oversized birds -- or rather their poop -- wasn’t pleasant, but the look on the Kid’s face as he watched the monstrous birds amble around was worth the sacrifice. Mando sat him on one of the rails of the fence, keeping his hands on the child to pull him back if needed. The long, curved beaks of the birds were almost as big as The Kid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As time passed with The Kid watching the animals and Mando watching the people, he started to notice that the birds were taking an interest in them. First, one small female wandered over, causing The Kid to bounce with delight. She lowered her big beak to the tiny child, and Mando barely resisted the urge to yank the child away from her. She rumbled something that was almost soothing and allowed the baby to run his claws along her yellow-brown beak. Her large orange eyes drooped shut at The Kid’s touch. She stayed still until one of the workers shouted; then she jerked away, startled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After she left, another bird approached them and let the baby pet their face. Mando realized that the workers were staring. Finally, one of them came over and asked, “How are you doing that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mando shrugged. “No clue.” Not long after that, he took the protesting baby back to the ship, away from the people and their whispers. Though upset about being removed from the birds, the kid went to sleep pretty easily. Only then did Mando eat, take a shower, and then crawl into his own bunk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Din stared at the ceiling, knowing what was likely coming, but unable to stop his brain from going there. He tried to ready himself, coming up with other things to think about than her. When he’d done what he could, he reached out and shut off the light. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alone in the dark,thoughts of her crowded in on him. Plans for the future were ripped away when he wondered if she’d be in them. Reviewing battle tactics worked until his brain just jumped over to a memory of her smile. When he was in the armor, he could push them away easily; when he wasn’t Mando, he ached with loneliness. He’d hoped it would fade quickly, but a week into the separation, he wondered if it would ease at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It has to, all pain passes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It had been the first lesson he’d learned among Death Watch, when he’d been a grief-stricken child. They’d been right; his sorrow had passed, if not completely then becoming tolerable over time. He couldn’t really remember his parent’s faces anymore -- if Parjii never came back, he’d probably get to that point with her face, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The potential of forgetting her brought new pain, and Din pressed his hands to his eyes rather than admit to tears, even to himself. The urge rose to return to Naboo, to take his chances with hunters finding them, just to see her again. He stifled it, knowing from experience that nothing hurts forever. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not worth it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he told himself rationally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>to put her and The Kid in danger just to see her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He still </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Worse was the thought that she might meet someone else. That would be for the best, Din knew, allowing a clean separation from him. She’d be happier with someone who wasn’t sworn to the Creed. As he drifted off to sleep, he tortured himself with musings of the kind of person she’d leave him for. He wasn’t trying to hurt himself, but with the thought in his head, he couldn’t stop wondering if Abo was her type, or if she’d desire Amli’s bright green eyes. Or maybe she wanted someone older, like Bastion: stable and safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Parjii bent over him, her thighs bracketing Din’s hips. He traced his fingers over her bare waist under her shirt and she choked back a shriek of ticklishness. “Shhh!” he demanded, stifling a laugh. “You’ll wake The Kid.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You stop!” She slapped his fingers away, but she still giggled. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re beautiful,” he told her, and humor fled her expression to be replaced by desire. “Stay with me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her fingers traced his eyebrows and slid down to tickle the skin under his lips. “I will never leave you,” she murmured, leaning forward to kiss him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He stopped her, looking at a dark mark on her chin. “What happened to you?” he asked, turning her face toward the light to see better.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You did,” she said as the bruise exploded across her face and her blood splashed on the walls of his bunk--</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Din jerked awake. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shab</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he muttered, pressing his hands to his eyes. He still couldn’t sleep in his own bed without having bad dreams. Sighing, he got up, dressed, and went to lay down in Parjii’s cot. He didn’t like the feeling that he’d usurped her bed, but he found that he only slept out here, listening to The Kid’s snores. Despite the discomfort of sleeping in his armor, it was easy to relax hearing those soft sounds, and Mando was soon asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dull thumps interrupted his sleep again; someone was knocking on the hull with something hard. His first thought was that they’d wake the baby, but a quick glance showed him still out. He hurried to the ramp, getting it open in less than three minutes. The storm had finally arrived, and the servant who had turned him away at the Baron’s stood outside, the wind trying to whip her cloak away from her. “The Baron has an emergency, and a need for one with your skills,” she said without preamble and none of the false pleasantry from earlier. Pushing her hair out of her face against a sharp gust, she added, “Will you please come?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.</p>
<p>tw: violence, lots of big birds</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A job was a job, and he glanced back at the cargo bay. The Kid stood there sleepily, scowling at them. Mando sighed and picked him up, drawing his cloak over his shoulder to shield the wee one from the weather. The servant gave him a questioning look but said nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rain pelted them by the time Mando entered the baron’s house. The servant exchanged her dripping robe for a dry one, belting it closed over her full nightgown. Mando shook the water off his wet-resistant cloak, as the Kid peered around them inquisitively. Then the servant led him straight down the hall to a large room. It had the massive table that suggested this was a formal dining room, but tonight it was full of people wearing work clothing and muddy boots. Most sipped hot drinks out of mugs; a few huddled near the fire. All conversation died when he entered the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mandalorian, welcome.” An older man rose from his chair at the head of the table to come offer him a hand. Though paunchy and with a bad limp, the lack of jiggle to his body suggested his weight was as much muscle as fat. Dark, curly hair shot through with silver and the finely embroidered robe completed the image of a landed noble, one of those leaders who worked with their men rather than off him. “I’m glad you could come. I’m Baron Londaro Horne.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Call me Mando,” Mando said, giving him a firm shake. “You have a job now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do,” Baron Horne replied, turning back to the table. A holomap hovered over the table, markers pointing out features of interest. Mando recognized the Y-shaped valley to the north, a deep canyon that cut through the hills. One arm of the Y ended several hundred yards in, but the other continued onward until it went off the map. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The area to the north and west is wildlands. Lawless men live there, bartering and bargaining for products with the more civilized areas of our world,” the Baron said. “They sometimes raid us for goods, if they can’t otherwise get them. Tonight, they took a portion of the herd.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want me to get them back,” Mando guessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you to join the party and plan our ambush.” Horne traced a path through the mountains, his finger stopping at a narrow point along the Y. “We can intercept the rustlers here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fee?” Mando asked because that was the first thing you settled before taking on a job.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One hundred peggats,” the Baron answered immediately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pleased that the noble understood business, Mando quickly did the math to convert to credits. “Done,” he said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re leaving immediately,” Horne stated, eyes falling to The Kid. “My servants can watch the child while we’re gone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>--Parjii bleeding in his bunk--</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, he stays with me,” Mando said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Horne frowned. “It’ll be hard riding through bad weather. Are you sure?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am.” With Mando’s firm statement, the men quickly worked out who else would be going with them. A tall man with deep umber skin and a curly black beard was picked to guide them through the mountains, and another twelve were selected to go with them. Horne reluctantly declined to lead, but sent his daughter, Lady Ettena, in his place. Like her father, she was built solidly with a sense of someone who worked for her living.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Servants handed Mando two rain shields. He declined the one for himself, but wrapped The Kid in the smaller of the two. The little one bounced with the frenetic mixture of excitement and exhaustion that children can achieve, and Mando wondered if this was wise. He’d wanted another job, and Tatooine taught him that he couldn’t leave The Kid with just anyone. Peli and Parjii had done their best but he couldn’t leave anyone he cared about unguarded again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside, ornathins stood under an overhang, saddles and saddlebags on their backs. The cantles were high enough to press against the lower back, and there was a loop instead of a horn; Mando had a pretty good idea of what riding these things was going to be like. Lady Ettena pointed to the biggest, whose feathers were a crimson color Mando hadn’t seen before. “That’s your mount, Begnathal, the Big Guy,” she said. “He’s our herd cock, and the only one big enough to carry you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Mando said, watching the big red bird flex his undersized wings and snap his oversized beak shut on a moth. “Where’s the bridle?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled, walked up to an ornathin and patted its neck. With a wheeze of protest, it knelt, and the noble sat in the saddle. Pulling a short, curved crop out from under the girth, she tapped the ornathin on the shoulder. With a grunt, the bird rose again as Lady Ettena held onto the saddle loop. “Once to go,” she said, tapping the back of the bird’s head once. It ambled into motion. “To go right, press the crop against the left side of the neck and vice versa,” she said, demonstrating each one. “The more you tap, the faster they go, and to stop, hold the bend of the crop against the front of its neck.” Ending her demonstration by facing him, she grinned. “It’s easy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if they don’t stop?” Mando asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, then you just throw yourself over the horn and land on their neck,” their guide said as he mounted on his own bird.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaa’s not wrong,” Lady Ettena said with a shrug. “But the birds don’t usually spook too much. You may have trouble if we run into another herd male, but that’s unlikely in the mountains, at least until we catch the rustlers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So my bird’s going to try to fight others?” Mando asked, frowning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He might,” Jaa replied. “But he’s the only one big enough to carry you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Mando said, walking over to the big bird. The monstrous animal tilted his head at him, peering at him with a large, orange eye. He patted the feathered shoulder and the creature knelt without a fuss. Mando’s saddlebags had a small basket that looked designed for a child. Though too big for The Kid, it worked to keep him contained and safe. Mando spent several minutes using blankets to secure The Kid comfortably, and then a few more to tie down the water resistant covering so he’d stay dry. Then he mounted up, braced in the stirrups, pulled out the crop, grabbed the saddle loop, and tapped Big Guy’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bird heaved once and dropped back into his crouch with an awkward honk. “Oo, that’s not good,” Jaa commented, but even as he spoke, the Big Guy tried again, rising with a moan of effort. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You gonna be okay?” Mando asked the bird. He didn’t answer and Mando tapped the back of his head once. The bird broke into a smooth wobble and Mando turned each way before stopping it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think he’s okay,” Ettena said, still frowning with worry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaa nodded. “I don’t think he was ready for the weight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone else mounted up while Mando walked the bird in circles and tried to get used to the sway of the ornathin’s gait. Five minutes later, the group rode out into the night. The rain lashed against them immediately, but as Baron Horne said, Jaa tapped his Ornathin up to a fast trot. The group followed suit, and Mando quickly decided that he hated the jounce of the birds. It threw the riders up and down, and he was not a fan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They passed through town quickly; despite the late hour, people were awake and watching them. As they passed the crowds, cheers and cries of, “Get ‘em!” rose from the people. The path outside of town took them past the pens, where teams of workers struggled to raise the barriers again. “How’d they knock down the fences?” he yelled to Lady Ettena. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They pulled them down with their mounts,” she replied. “Killed two guards, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mando nodded; that explained the anger he’d seen back in the town. Then they were outside of town, and the dark closed around them. Mando activated his night filters as Jaa tapped the mounts up to a fast run. At least that gait didn’t make Mando feel like they were trying to bounce his brain out of his skull. In fact, it became a soft side-to-side rock that bordered on soothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaa snapped on his lantern sporadically to check the road, but most of the ride was in darkness. They followed a road through the tall grasses for a while, then turned right into a smaller path. The night became grasses whipping past, the slap of the birds’ feet, and the smell of leather and wet earth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Big Guy slowed sharply and Mando grabbed at the saddle loop. With a start, he realized that the other birds had slowed, and he’d been dozing in the saddle. The storm had passed, leaving behind the smell of ozone and rain. The grasses were shorter here on the slope of the mountain and Jaa pointed to a path that wound up the rocky face. “We’ll be following this path,” he said. “We’re single-file here on out. There are points that get narrow, and there are raptors in the mountains. It’ll be after dawn before we’re at the ridge. Questions?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mando said, “What is a ‘raptor’?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lady Ettena nodded. “Pack predators. They’re smaller than ornathins, fewer feathers, and bigger claws.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds lovely.” Mando checked on The Kid’s basket to find sleepy eyes peering up at him. “Hold on, kid, it’s gonna get bumpy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaa, let’s take a breather before we head up,” Ettena called. “Everyone, piss, grab a bite, stretch your legs. We’ll be back in the saddle in five minutes.” Mando was glad for the rest, letting The Kid out to stumble around sleepily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why wouldn’t you leave the child behind?” Jaa hadn’t exactly snuck up on him, but Mando had a feeling he had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to startle him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scowling, he replied, “That’s not your concern.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaa held his hands up. “Hey, easy. I’m just a concerned father. I’d want someone else to be concerned if it were my kid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m taking care of him,” Mando said, swooping down to stabilize the kid as he started to topple over slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at his best in the mornings, is he?” Jaa said with a chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is?” Ettena grunted as she casually joined them. “Jaa, a word?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure thing, my lady.” The two of them walked away and Mando amplified his hearing using the helmet. As he listened, Mando picked up The Kid and let him curl against his armor. The effort with the dryskin had worked and the child’s clothing was not wet. Mando handed him a length of ornathin jerky, and The Kid started to gnaw on it eagerly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lay off the Mandalorian,” Ettena said firmly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Jaa asked, as Mando smirked at him getting put in his place. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s helping us, his family business is his business,” the noble said. “So drop it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Lady.” Jaa didn’t sound happy, but he didn’t have the look of someone about to go around his boss anyway. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hopefully</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Mando thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’ll be the last of that.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Big Guy shifted a little, then walked over to Mando. He peered up at the massive bird as The Kid cooed and reached out a tiny hand. As before, the monstrously huge animal let the child pet it on the beak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mando felt the weight of stares and looked up to see everyone watching them. “Animals like him,” he said, because it was the only explanation he had for the strange behavior. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When he’s older, he has a job here if he wants it,” Ettena said, attempting to joke. That stopped the stares, or at least made them more covert. He could still hear the whispers though, and he was glad when Jaa called for them to mount up again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The path quickly became rocky, and the birds had to slow, jumping over the rocks at a rapid trot. Jaa went first, followed by Lady Ettena, and then Mando. “Bergenthal needs to be near the front,” Jaa told him, “or he’ll try to push his way forward. Normally, whoever is leading rides the herd cock but not in this case.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m riding the herd cock</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Mando mused to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Never thought I’d be hearing that said without it leading to an intense conversation.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group ran in single file, following a narrow path that zigged back and forth as it climbed the rock face. Dozing or even zoning out in the saddle became impossible due to anxiety. Even with dark vision assist, the trail seemed to disappear, only to show that it had actually zagged behind a rock wall. Mando clung to the saddle loop more than once when the Big Guy made a sudden turn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The air thinned as the spines of the mountains started to be outlined by the rising sun. Unfortunately, that also showed Mando that they were now running along a cliff ridge; at times, his boot hung over open air. Still, the birds didn’t falter in their gaits, and Mando felt himself slowly relaxing as the sun came up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The path angled away from the edge, so that there was a ribbon of about twenty feet of hill before the cliff’s edge. Mando stood in the stirrups to try to see the bottom; he caught the briefest glance of a stream before the rocks hid it again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Someone screamed behind him and Mando twisted in his saddle to see three small ornathins on the back of one of the birds behind him. Feathers ran from the crest of their heads down their back to cover their short tails, and their feet had a nasty hooking claw on it. They pecked and kicked at the rider and the bird, and Mando stopped Big Guy. Pulling his blaster, he shot a fourth in mid-air as it tried to join its brethren. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Raptors!” one of the men screamed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading. Come join me on Tumblr, where I routinely post my thoughts and feelings on all things Mandalorian and Star Wars, and daily post excerpts from the witing I did that day. Find me @deprough!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy New Mandalorian Episode Day! No, I haven't seen it! Yes, I'm frantically counting the minutes until I can!</p><p>tw: violence, harm/death to animals, harm/death to people</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>More swarmed down from above, including two that leapt at Mando. He shot one as it sailed at him, ducking the corpse as it fell past him to roll down the steep hill and disappear at the cliff edge. The second landed on his shoulders, failed to find purchase on his beskar, and slid off the other side. It landed on the hill and jumped back up at him, landing on the edge of the basket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mando punched it and knocked it loose as Big Guy lunged forward. Lady Ettena’s mount had one perched on her saddle bags, and Big Guy tore it off with a snap of his beak. The doomed raptors shrieked as the red cock crushed it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another scream behind Mando cut short and he turned to see one of the men tumbled off his bird and rolled down the hill. The attacking raptors ceased immediately and followed the corpse in graceful leaps. Mando leaned out of his saddle and killed one of them, but then they were out of sight. The riderless ornathin wailed in pain and Big Guy answered with a warbling honk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others waited as one of the riders bandaged the hurt, riderless ornathin. There was nothing to be done for the rider, and a more subdued group started riding again. The sun rose further, until Mando could see the details of the golden rocks, the blue-green grasses struggling to grow in thin soil and air, and the glittering creek far below. If he didn’t think about it, he could almost believe it was just a ride along a high mountain trail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahead, the trail ended in a steep drop. Mando expected Jaa to stop but he tapped the ornathin’s head again and leaned forward. Ettena did the same as Jaa’s mount sped up and leapt off the end of the path in a long bound. Mando watched in disbelief as the bird landed on a rock about as wide as its feet, leapt again, and landed on a sliver of cliff that could be called a path. Mando wouldn’t call it a path, but Jaa’s bird sprinted along it at a rapid trot, even as Ettena’s bird made the jump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shab!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he hissed, locking his arm around the saddle loop and reached back to grab at The Kid, riding in the basket. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shab!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Big Guy didn’t slow or hesitate; he gave a massive leap, landed, and pushed off again. Mando stared at the mark where he was supposed to land, willing the bird to make the distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s short</span>
  </em>
  <span>,  Mando realized just before the Big Guy landed. Instead of racing forward after Ettena’s bird, his mount stopped dead and Mando felt his balance shift backwards. Mando snatched a handful of The Kid’s robe and threw himself forward over the saddle loop. Landing on the mount’s thick neck, he slid to his feet and pulled on the loop. He heard men behind him yelling but couldn’t make out the words. The Kid cried and grabbed his hand where it was bunched around his clothing, but Mando didn’t have time to cradle the child or comfort him. He hauled as hard as he could, trying to save the bird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second, he was sure it wouldn’t be enough, that the big animal would fall anyway. Gritting his teeth, he pulled harder--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Big Guy lurched forward sharply and Mando was nearly trampled. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shab!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he growled, pushing himself against the cliff behind him in a desperate bid to keep his feet. Mando found a convenient rock and used it as a mounting post as he vaulted up onto the bird with one free arm. Once in the saddle, he didn’t need to tell the bird to go; the animal took off at a quick, albeit shaky, jog forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking down at The Kid, Mando pulled him more securely into his arms and felt himself start to shake, too. For a second, he’d been sure they were going to fall. The Kid snuggled into him and Mando patted his small head reassuringly before setting him in the saddle in front of him. Keeping an arm around the child, he glanced back and saw that the others were making the jump behind him. Jaa and Ettena had stopped ahead of him, but they headed out again when they saw him; Mando wasn’t sure they knew how close it had been. He pulled The Kid against him more tightly and took a death grip on the saddle loop as they ran on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The new trail slowly widened again until Mando felt like he could breathe without risking a fall, and the birds passed over a crest on the mountain and started going down. They did this with small hops that made The Kid squeal with delight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaa stopped in a stand of trees and dismounted. Ettena followed and Mando dropped to the ground in relief, taking The Kid with him. As Jaa started to feed and water his mount, Ettena pointed past the trees to a cliff line. “Down there is the road. I’ll care for your ornathin if you want to start planning the ambush.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mando was only too happy to step away from the bird and peer down into the canyon, The Kid in his arms. It was exactly as the hologram had shown; a narrowing in the otherwise wide path. If they were going fast with the herd, they’d probably have to slow down here. It was also more defensible for attackers from above.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And they know all this</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Mando suspected. They’d be fools to not think that their victims would come after them, and bigger fools to believe that they wouldn’t strike at a point of strategic advantage. So they’d be ready for trouble here. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So if they’re expecting an attack from one direction</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Mando mused, his mind already falling into thoughts of battle, </span>
  <em>
    <span>then we should come at them from another.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>~  *  ~  *  ~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stolen herd was most of the way through the narrow spot when they ambushed the raiders. Ettena hadn’t been sure that was a good idea, but Jaa’s quick recon of the approaching group sold her on the plan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While The Kid stayed with Ettena, Jaa had led Mando to a path down to the road, which had been a series of spine-crushing hops down a near-vertical cliff face instead of a walking path. It had put him behind the raiders. There, he’d followed the stolen herd to the appointed point, and watched from a distance as the raiders tried to funnel the birds through quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ettena and half of the townsfolk started the fight by stunning several of the ambusher’s mounts. The animals were too large to be put down by a single blast, but this was a distraction to create chaos. When the ornathins targeted staggered and collapsed, Mando pulled the muzzle off the Big Guy’s beak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An interesting fact about ornathin behavior was that hens didn’t accept just any cock who tried to herd them. Until the hens accepted him as herd cock, he’d have to bully them into submission. It was one of the few times a cock would be at the back of the herd: driving the hens forward. The raiders had used this behavior by using a young cock to hassle the stolen hens forward with kicks and sharp, barking honks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second Big Guy’s mouth was free, he lifted his head and unleashed a rippling roar. It wasn’t just a deep sonorous noise that bounced back and forth off the rocks and carried for miles; from his position on Big Guy’s back, Mando felt the noise all through his body. The other cock, a bright blue ornathin with a young woman riding it, whipped its head around and replied with an answering roar. Mando caught sight of the rider’s terrified expression before the blue bird spun--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mando shot it in the head before it could take a step, and more importantly, before Big Guy charged in and ruined the shot. As his opponent collapsed, Big Guy let out a shriek of victory, followed by a series of honks. Most of the hens answered back, their calls stating that they recognized him as a familiar cock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A blaster bolt bounced off his shoulder, and Mando fired back at the young woman who’d been unseated when the blue cock collapsed. As she took cover, he spun his mount around and sent Big Guy racing for the box canyon. The bird called out to the hens as he went, and the stolen ornathins immediately dashed after him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>More blaster fire peppered Mando’s beskar, but the Big Guy rounded a corner and provided cover for a moment. When Mando glanced back over his shoulder, all he could see were the blue-green mass of the herd following him for a few seconds. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t fall</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought grimly. Anyone going down under those wide feet wouldn’t be getting up. Even his beskar would provide limited protection in that mob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another bolt </span>
  <em>
    <span>panged</span>
  </em>
  <span> off his back, and the force pushed him against the loop. Mando dared another look to see someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>standing </span>
  </em>
  <span>on a hen’s back, rifle against their shoulder, firing at him. Mando felt admiration for the shooter, but they were still going to have to die; they were far too competent to be ignored. Another bolt snapped past the Big Guy’s head, and the bird flinched to the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mando straightened him out and twisted around in the saddle to line up his own shot on the shooter. Timing it with his mount’s movement, he returned fire. He didn’t hit, and he wasn’t expecting to, but the bolts were close enough to force the rider to drop back into the saddle and stop firing at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three more bolts flashed past him; more raiders had gotten around the bend in the road and could see him again. Twisting again, he strafed the air above the hen’s heads to discourage pot shots at him. The raiders ducked his blasts, and none were as skilled as the other rider had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ran on, the thunder of the herd a constant drum as he fired blindly behind him. The standing shooter tried one more time; they didn’t get him but they almost hit the Big Guy’s head, and that wasn’t acceptable. The red cock was the key to the rest of the plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The box canyon loomed up on the right side, and Mando steered Big Guy toward it, hoping the raiders thought he’d gotten confused and accidentally entered the canyon. If they didn’t, things would be harder; if they realized the trap, they might just leave. If they did, Mando would chase them down to prevent further assaults on the town, but his plan would make cleanup easier</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The raiders followed, and Mando grinned. The moment the last of them was inside, the six best sharpshooters among the townsfolk opened fire from the canyon’s edge, trying to snipe the raiders without killing hens. Mando spun Big Guy around and put his disruptor to his shoulder. As the townspeople’s hens milled around Big Guy, Mando aimed at the standing shooter who’d proven so efficient at hitting him. He was closer than Mando had realized, and the Mandalorian had just enough time to wonder if his beskar would hold as they both pulled the triggers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bolt hit center-mass, and Mando rocked backwards in the saddle but kept his seat with the help of the loop and cantle. Hauling himself upright again, he didn’t see his target, so hopefully he’d hit him. Another raider fired at him, missed, and earned return fire from Mando in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A blaster impacted nearby and Big Guy screamed in pain. Mando smelled scorched flesh and feathers and realized someone had shot the bird. The ornathin bucked under him, still crying out and Mando shot out his grappling hook and caught a nearby rock. Before Big Guy could throw him, he rappled himself up to the cliff. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to find and blow away the shabhole who’d shot his mount, only to see Big Guy leap next to the raider who’d shot him. As the unfortunate man tried to push his hen through the herd and flee, the red cock leapt into the air and kicked the rider twice. Mando winced as the rider was thrown out of the saddle, landing against another hen. He tried to get on her back, but she wasn’t saddled and she flinched away from him. Then Big Guy landed on him, and struck downward with his beak. Though Mando couldn’t see exactly what happened, he did see blood dripping from the bird’s beak when he lifted his head again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hanging on his line, Mando realized the fight was over. The raiders were dead or fleeing, and the hens were settling down around their herd cock. With a shrug, he waited for things to settle down enough for him to safely lower himself all the way to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~  *  ~  *  ~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll be blind on one side,” Lady Ettena said with a frown as they leaned against the rebuilt pens, “but he’s not done fertilizing eggs yet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mando stared at the bird’s bandaged head. They’d had to hobble the cock to keep him from kicking the bandage off, and his irritation with the restraint showed in every motion the bird made. “Good. He was brave and deserves a long life.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Kid leaned further out of his arms, spreading his fingers toward the bird. For once, his charms failed and Big Guy wandered away instead of getting petted. “Thank you again,” the noble said. “Without you, recovering the herd would have been difficult.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for watching The Kid while I did it,” Mando said, nodding. “Your father paid me for the job, that’s all the thanks I need.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it was just a job to you, but we need the ornathins to survive,” Ettena said. She offered her hand to him and he shook it. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” he said, to cut off more exclamations of gratitude. “Take a last look, Kid. We’re about to leave.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Kid gripped the fence tighter, as if to stop him from leaving, but didn’t take his eyes off the birds. “He needs a pet,” Ettena said with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t give him a chick or something,” Mando said tersely. “We don’t have room for an animal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad,” the noble said. “All kids should have an animal friend. May the Force be with you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a nod, Mando pried his charge loose of the fence and turned for the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Crest</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The ship echoed emptily as he stepped aboard, and he felt the lack of her as keenly as a blade. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is for the best</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he reminded himself as he went about securing The Kid and preparing for take-off. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is the Way.</span>
  </em>
  <span> No matter how much it hurt.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey, come find me on Tumblr @deprough. I talk about Mando stuff, and Star Wars stuff, but more importanly, I post almost daily excerpts of my writing so you can get little peeks of what I'm working on (for example, though this is part 7 of The Jobs Series I'm wrapping I'm currently working on #10, and people who have been following me have gotten bits of #8 and #9). Come follow me, I'd love to see you there!</p><p>Thank you for reading, I hope it brought a bit of pleasure to your Black Friday.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come join me on Tumblr, where I post other people's art, occasional crochet projects, and thoughts on the Mandalorian. You can find me @deprough -- I'd love to see you there!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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